Single, gregarious, or clustered, on soil, moss and duff in hardwood/conifer woods; fruiting from mid to late winter.

Edibility

Unknown, but too small to be of culinary value.

Comments

This diminutive, brightly colored coral is often confused with Clavulinopsis fusiformis, but the latter is typically yellow while C. laeticolor is usually some shade of orange. Both species can fruit in tufts, but clusters of Clavulinopsis fusiformis are more likely to be fused at the base. In addition, Clavulinopsis laeticolor is usually mild in taste, while C. fusiformis is typically bitter. The two species also react differently in KOH. According to Tylutki, a 10% KOH solution will turns the flesh of Clavulinopsis laeticolor yellowish-green to green, but has no effect on C. fusiformis. Finally, spore shape also differs, the spores of Clavulinopsis fusiformis spores are spherical, while those of C. laeticolor are subglobose to pyriforme.